Unmasking Greatness
Join Fitness/LifeStyle Expert & Mentor Chris Kakouras talk about maximizing your health, business, mindset, and overall life! Let's get better together as I bring on amazing guest to interview and learn from!
Unmasking Greatness
Cultivating Confidence Through Commitment in Challenging Times
Discover how I transformed my life from a timid young man into a confident, committed individual ready to tackle any challenge. Join me, Chris Kakouras, on a journey through Unmasking Greatness as I reveal the secrets behind my confidence journey and how you can unlock similar potential in your life. By focusing on relentless practice and perseverance in skateboarding and fitness, I've built a foundation that has propelled my personal growth. Together, we'll explore how these experiences taught me the importance of following through on promises, laying the groundwork for lasting self-improvement.
Let's take a closer look at the Roadmap to Success, a structured program that emphasizes clarity and community as essential elements of personal development. Building confidence isn't just about setting goals; it's about having the right people by your side—people who hold you accountable, cheer your successes, and motivate you to push further. Learn why surrounding yourself with supportive networks and collaborating with nutrition and health experts can be the game-changer you need to achieve your goals. From fitness circles to business peers, community support is the backbone of transforming aspirations into achievements.
As the holiday season approaches, maintaining your health and fitness goals might seem daunting, but fear not. We've got practical strategies to help you navigate holiday festivities without compromising your progress. Whether it's enjoying treats at family gatherings or staying mindful during business parties, these tips ensure you remain on track. Consistency, not perfection, is your ally in this journey. Plus, with upcoming coaching opportunities and Black Friday specials, there's no better time than now to commit to your goals. Let's make this holiday season a stepping stone to success!
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Welcome to Unmasking Greatness. I'm your host, chris Kikoris, a lifestyle fitness coach and mentor. This podcast is about unmasking your greatest potential, finding your purpose and crafting a life worth living. Health and fitness has been the gateway drug to all of my success. My continuous drive to keep learning and surround myself with other high achievers forces me to level up, which has developed my mind to something I never thought was possible. This podcast is here to share what I've learned and continue to learn with all of you. This is your sign to take back control of your health, mindset and personal environment. Strap in as we are recharged and always find value in the show. Please subscribe and share, as we can all get better together. Let's go.
Speaker 2:What's up, guys? Welcome to another episode of Unmasking Greatness. I'm your host, chris Koukouris. Thank you for tuning in this Monday.
Speaker 2:Every Monday I like to drop a new episode, and this one is nothing short but value for you guys, and today, specifically, we're going to get into the topics of confidence and commitment. These two concepts have been coming up a lot in the past week, and then I started really reflecting on my own personal life and my journey and I was like this is a great topic to talk to you guys about because, full transparency, I have not always been as confident as I am now. Okay, and there's a. There's a fine line of being, you know, obviously confident, and then just very egotistical. I mean there's a. There's a fine line of being, you know, obviously confident, and then just very egotistical. I mean there's a, there's a, a gray area there of being too confident, right, but for me it's the confidence that I have built has has come over time and, honestly, if you ask, ask yourself like who is someone that you know that is very confident? Some of the features you're probably looking at as someone is like they're the first person on the dance floor, they're the first person to, like you know, run and talk to a whole group of individuals. I mean, there's no holds for them. They're very outgoing extrovert, if that's the word you want to use, and honestly, we were all born that way.
Speaker 2:You know, my son is six years old and I watch him. He will talk to anybody, not worrying about a thing. He runs around the house naked, doesn't care. You know he is not worried about judgment at all. And as we get older, I think that is one of the fears that we have is we want to be accepted. We don't want to look down upon, we want to be accepted around the people that we're around. And that becomes difficult, obviously, with the social media and other attributes that go along with that. So for me, when I reflect on that, it's like okay, we were like that as a kid. These things happen, and now we're a little bit more cautious of what we're doing. And that's with me.
Speaker 2:I was not good at much of anything when I was younger. I was not good at school, I was not an athlete, I didn't have a lot of friends, definitely not good with girls. I mean, that wasn't. I just wasn't really good at much of anything, and so I had to try to pick up something so I could be a part and be related to other individuals, and skateboarding was that thing for me back then and that was, I would say, skateboarding has been a key mover for me, whether I realize it or not, to really one build my confidence, but also be committed, and the commitment came from trying to learn tricks.
Speaker 2:I mean, if you've ever skateboarded, it's very difficult and a lot of balance. But the technical tricks that you trying to learn tricks, I mean if you've ever skateboarded, it's very difficult and you need a lot of balance. But the technical tricks that you need to learn, they take time, a lot of time, and you could spend hours a day working on one trick, not ever land it, and do that again the next day, the next day. It could take you weeks or months to learn something new, to be able to do it. And then trying to do it consistently is another extension model to training and being consistent. But if you're willing to commit to something, to learn something, to be good at something for who knows how long and not be guaranteed any sort of results and put yourself through the falling, the sweat, the tears, that is a level of commitment and relentlessness. And so there's different layers of confidence. There's one that we talked about attributes of being very outgoing first one on the dance floor but then there's other levels of confidence, which is where I was falling in. Maybe some of you guys will be able to resonate with this. My confidence grew over time and it was through the undeniable trust that I had within myself and the ability to follow through, no matter how uncomfortable or difficult something was, and that is where my confidence really is, like driven from. I am. If I say I'm going to do something, I'm doing it, and nothing will get in the way of me, of, you know, completing those tasks. I'm very focused. That's my demeanor, that's my attitude towards things.
Speaker 2:And so that whole little skateboarding concept started to carry over into, obviously, working out. I got into fitness. I was not a big person, so initial goal for me was I just wanted to get stronger. I wasn't really worried, I didn't want to be a bodybuilder, I just wanted to build some strength, and so through that I was getting stronger and, by default, then my body started changing. I started building muscles and then you started to tack on additional avenues for your health and fitness, like watching what you're eating, supplementation, recovery, mobility, and then you just optimize from there. But each level is a brick to the foundation that you're trying to build. It's not about being perfect, it's about making progress towards the goal that you're trying to build. It's not about being perfect, it's about making progress towards the goal that you're trying to achieve.
Speaker 2:And this, again from that, has carried over into my business. I'm very committed and consistent with the things that I'm doing. Obviously, with this podcast, if you follow me on Instagram, I post almost every single day and I really don't miss. I'm very consistent when it comes to that sort of things. But I know that's what it's going to take and some posts I make don't get any views, don't get any likes, and then some do. But again, it doesn't stop me from trying to learn these skill sets. And confidence is really also a driver from education.
Speaker 2:And I'll tell you I haven't shared this on here before, but I don't really I don't get into the business and finances too much on here, but I will tell you this two years ago, as I was building my business and, you know, finally invested into a mentorship, which is a big investment, I wanted to move faster. I wanted results quick. I didn't want to wait anymore. I wanted to see this thing shoot to the moon, right. And so I got to a point where I was talking to an ads agency and they have a hefty fee to work with them on top of an ad spend, and I was like, okay, cool, like I got everything put together. Ads is complicating, I don't want to mess with it, I'll just let, I'll pay them to do it. Big mistake, big mistake, uh. Three months I lost $20,000 with no return, and that was a hard lesson learned for me, and I realized that I could never allow myself to pay someone to do something that I don't know how to do.
Speaker 2:I need when it comes to my health, my business, my lifestyle. I want to know how to do everything, because then at some point I can delegate it and I can overlook it, and there may be somebody that can do it better than me. But I know the baseline of how things should be run. And so I say that to tell you guys, especially if you are in a health and fitness journey, do not find someone that is just telling you what to do. They should be showing you and educating you, because these are again those bricks of foundation for you to be successful long-term.
Speaker 2:We want to stay committed, and this, again, is going to build our confidence. So this is where I have created a concept that I want to go over with you guys, which is called the confidence quadrant. All right, this is going to be four core pillars that I've practiced, I put into place and things that we also teach inside of our coaching curriculum to help build confidence. Everybody starts at a different level. Some are, you know, from the weeds up and some of them are halfway up. You know already got some good baselines and we're just trying to excel, and so you got to have these core four to really be able to again have that confidence and that commitment. So let's, let's get into it. The first one is you got to have clarity clarity of that goal. So Imagine trying to build confidence around a goal that you're not even clear about.
Speaker 2:You don't know how it's going to affect your life, how it's going to change you, why, why is it important? Everybody says you got to know your why. That's true. I mean, think about this If you're out here listening to this and you have some weight that you want to lose, you got 20, 30, 40, 50 pounds that you want to lose. Why Is it? Because the doctor said, hey, your BMI is going up, your cholesterol is high, you know you're starting to get in unhealthy territory. Okay, sure, that's a good reason, but I think you need to go a layer deeper and ask yourself how will my life change if I drop this 30, 40, 50 pounds? Because if nothing changes, then why are you going to want to put in all this effort, all this extra hard work, all this sweat? It's not going to be worth it to you. The things that are worth it take a lot of hard work, and the harder the work, the more the reward is going to be at the end. Work, and the harder the work, the more the reward is going to be at the end.
Speaker 2:So some of the things that could be for you to get you motivated and have more clarity is maybe you're going to have more energy throughout the day, and more energy not just throughout the day, but when you actually get off from work to spend time with your family. Maybe you need to drop this weight because you physically can't play with your kids at the playground. You have to be that parent that sits on the bench and watches his kids play and your kid's, like mom, dad, come play with me and you're too out of shape to actually even participate in that kind of activity. Now you're losing memories. That's a strong why you don't get those back, and so you want to find some deep-rooted reasons why this is so important, because that lack of clarity creates unnecessary stress and ultimately leads to feeling scattered, and we don't want you to feel scattered.
Speaker 2:We need to know exactly what that goal is, and now we can get very tangible and strategic with those goals. One of the things you know, additionally, that we do is we have something in our program called the Roadmap to Success, and we break things down to very strategic and tactical processes month by month, and this keeps you from getting too overwhelmed. But you can also see that we're getting closer and closer every single month to keep you focused and motivated, because that motivation comes from wins. If we can show that you're winning and you're making progress, I'm ready. Let's keep going. Let's keep going.
Speaker 2:But if you're just floating doing the work, but you don't have measurable, tangible goals, it can get old and it can get very monotonous and we start to lose motivation, because motivation doesn't stay around forever, but what does is having strategic processes, having healthy habits right, having a good mindset. Like those are the strong foundations that's going to keep you successful long-term. So writing down your goals in detail can make them feel even more real and also more attainable. And the more clarity you have, the easier it becomes to make decisions that align with your goal, which reinforce confidence along the way. So you got to be clear.
Speaker 2:The next one and I'm a big component of this, and I also want to say, like I almost didn't used to be, uh and, and that's community support. And really we, we want to be a part of something. You can isolate yourself for so long, but that's not the way humans were designed to be. We were designed to be a part of a tribe, be a part of a community to support each other. So you know, surrounding yourself with supportive people is a huge confidence booster, and a solid community holds you accountable, cheers you on and reminds you you know what's really worth it on the long end, because you're going to see other people that have similar goals, that one they're working hard towards, or two, they have achieved it, and if they've achieved it, you know that you can achieve it. It's something real, it's something that can really happen. Or maybe they're working hard and you're like that person's working really hard.
Speaker 2:I need to be working hard too, and so somebody is going to set the pace. You ever go running with a friend. You ever go running with a friend and you're you know, you guys start going down the sidewalk. One of you, whether you realize it or not, is going to set the pace. One of you so whoever more than likely, is more conditioned is going to keep a pace and you're going to stay right behind them. Right, and so having those sort of people in your community is going to help you stay focused and keep up. Keep up with the progress that you're doing.
Speaker 2:So, whether it's a fitness group, a business network or close friends who generally want to, you know the best for you. You want to find that community that supports your vision, so don't be afraid to reach out, attend events or connect with people who align with your goals. That confidence starts to flourish in the community, because it reminds you that you're not alone on this journey. You may think that you're on a lonely island because nobody understands what you're going through, but I promise you are not. You're just on the wrong island and this is why, even for myself, I love going to business conferences, coaching conferences, because the struggles we have not everybody understands, you know, and when I get around these types of people, you sound just like me and vice versa, and it's. And it's nice because these individuals also, you know, we're going to see, you know, super successful keynote speakers, but the everyday people is who I like to talk to and build relationships with, because, again, they're doing things that I'm trying to excel at, so I can learn from them, and vice versa. So we can, we can really share each other's information to help each other grow. Vice versa, so we can really share each other's information to help each other grow. And the same thing with you guys, with your health and fitness. You want to try to find that community that's local to you, that can help support you in your journey, and that's what we have tried to do very, you know, here. Within the last, I'd say, year, year and a half, building that strong community in the upstate has been a primary focus and we've done a very good job at that. I was talking to a guy at the gym today and I joke about this, but it's kind of funny but kind of real where I say I'm the plug when it comes to health and fitness in the upstate. I am the plug Because, sure, we are a coaching, fitness, lifestyle, nutrition business.
Speaker 2:We put all the pieces together. But there are other people that are more specialized in certain areas than I am, and so those of we. We have partners with the nutrition store, with Jacob Davis. That's our supplement expert. Anybody that got real deep rooted questions when it comes to supplements and ingredients, I get them in contact. We've done webinars with him multiple times with our clients.
Speaker 2:You know you need a physical therapist. We have Austin Pack with All Prime. We linked up with him. He's worked on me. We send clients to him. Maybe you don't want to meal prep anymore. Hey, clean, eat I'm. You know, can I put your plan together? Yes, but I'm not going to cook your food for you, but I got somebody that will. And even blood work. You know we need to make sure that internally you're doing just as good as externally. So we partner with a company, pushmed, who does hormone replacement therapies, iv therapies, multiple things to make sure that you're taking care of your health and fitness. So, anything any of our clients need, we have a connection to help you get the help and support that you need. So community is not just having a bunch of friends, it's about having access. You ever hear people say your network is your net worth 100%, and there's so much truth behind that, and so when those sign up with us, they get to see what it's like to be a part of a very strong network.
Speaker 2:Number three you have to fully commit to these goals. You cannot have one foot in and one foot out. Commitment is not the same as motivation. Commitment is not the same as motivation. Motivation comes and go, like we said before, but commitment means you're all in. Even on the tough days, even when times you don't want to do it, you are committed to those goals. You're telling yourself that this is a non-negotiable. It's going beyond wanting something. It's dedicating time, effort and focus to make it happen. Wanting something is dedicating time, effort and focus to make it happen.
Speaker 2:This one was one of the key factors that had me thinking this past week, because I had a conversation with an individual that was thinking about signing up with us and when we got towards you know, talking about how the program works and all the details, she asked me well, yeah, I do have one question Is this something that I have to sign an agreement for or commit to, or something like if I wanted to just stop, I could stop? And I told her if you are coming in with that mindset already, you are going to fail. If you already are thinking about giving up and quitting and you cannot commit to the process, you are going to fail. If you already are thinking about giving up and quitting and you cannot commit to the process, you are going to fail. Our process has been proven to work over and over. I mean, we have hundreds of transformation pictures, tons of testimonials, like our program. We don't play. You want results, we're going to get them and we're going to put the plan together for you. So I don't have to justify that my program works or doesn't work. Our system works.
Speaker 2:But I do have to have a commitment from you that you're ready to make a change, and so if you can't commit to me that you're ready to do this, then we're not a good fit together, because I already know what's going to happen. I want to reinforce your beliefs about yourself to be able to do this. But again, I need that commitment and honestly, I sometimes feel that most people they're scared. They're scared to commit, and the reason that they're scared to commit is not because they're scared to fail. They're not scared to quit, they're scared of succeeding. They're scared of actually reaching their goals because this is something that is not familiar to them, this is something that they're not used to and that that is scary. And that is something that I hope that I can transition into a way that now this winning and reaching your goals becomes your new normality, which is going to build your confidence a hundred percent.
Speaker 2:But we have to break that mold. We have to break those old habits. We have to break that old mentality to get you to start to see what it could be like on the other side. But you have to commit. So don't be scared of achieving those goals. It's scary because it's unfamiliar territory towards you. But if you're around that community, if you have that person that's been there, that's done that, that's shown you over and over again that we can get those goals for you and others, it should give a little more trust in the process.
Speaker 2:It's not going to be easier. It's still going to be hard work and I'm upfront about that. You know I can put a perfect plan together. But I can't. I can't force you to go to the gym, I can't force you to eat the food, but I will do my darndest to make sure that you stay focused and you do the things that you're supposed to be doing every single day, and our processes are quite on point with those sorts of things. So every time someone makes a decision that aligns with their commitment whether that's getting up early to work out or sticking to your nutrition plan they're going to reinforce that they're capable of keeping those promises to themselves. And every time you make a little commitment and you follow through, it's like another layer, another brick on that, that commitment to building that empire that you want. Again, we just brick by brick we're going to build. We're going to build from there. And the next thing you know you're going to have this whole mansion that you could handle anything that you want inside of it. But you got to start with that one brick.
Speaker 2:And the last quadrant is staying consistent with those goals. You know, if commitment is deciding, you'll pursue a goal. The consistency is actually showing up for it day after day. Consistency is where you'll see the real growth and build that muscle confidence. So we're talking about working out to build physical muscle tissue, but there's also a muscle for confidence as well, and that's where I say that we have to start to create small wins, to compound over time to build that confidence level.
Speaker 2:And consistency doesn't mean perfection, by no means. I always say progress over perfection. I want to see progression day in and day out. It's the small daily wins that eventually turn into something bigger. Staying consistent allows you to trust yourself and when you can rely on yourself to take actions towards your goals, your confidence will naturally grow. So that consistency is another key component of this quadrant. So commitment, consistency, the double C's, double C's over here. You got to stay committed and consistent to those goals and you will reap the benefits. But again, just something additional to that you need to make sure that things are measurable. You know you need to see that you are making moves forward, because if you don't you will fall off, because that is what's going to motivate you. Those little wins keeps you motivated. So I hope this resonated with some of you guys.
Speaker 2:That's essentially the confidence quadrant. It's clarity, community commitment and consistency. And confidence is built through action and keeping promises to yourself. It's a hard process. Again, it's not something that happens overnight, but when you know and you have that clarity on what those goals are and you have some tangible tasks and maybe some guidance. If this is unfamiliar territory for you, I highly suggest you have somebody in your corner in your community that is going to support you in this and guide you. This will time collapse your results significantly.
Speaker 2:So don't overlook having some sort of mentorship or coaching if you need it and even high achievers need it. I mean you think about people that have coaches at a high level. You know you're talking about. Michael Jordan had a coach, kobe Bryant had a coach, phil Heath has a coach. You know Michael Phelps had a coach, some of the top tier athletes and even in business too. They all have some sort of mentorship because their mindset is built for continuous growth, because there is no limit. The only limit is you. So don't limit yourself, don't be scared. Take a leap of faith, but when you make that leap, you better be all in.
Speaker 2:You hear people say burn the ships, burn the ships. There's no plan B. You all in and if it doesn't work out the way that you wanted it to, it's okay. It's okay. You know, you live, you learn, and that was my thing, especially when I invested in my first mentorship. I had no, there was no guarantees that this was going to work out, and I told myself I'm not slowing down, I'm speeding up, I'm gonna do everything that I possibly can to make this thing work. But even if, even if it did not work, I did not lose, because I learned something and that something could be one gold nugget. So that's my, that's my pitch to you guys today Get committed, get clarity, build that confidence, build that consistency. I have faith in you guys. You guys can reach your goals. If you need help, you know where to find me. Shoot me a message. You can message me on here. Find me on Instagram at Coach Cack.
Speaker 2:If you are interested in possibly getting some coaching and you want to hear more about what we do, this is the perfect time. Monday, when this episode drops, we are actually launching our Black Friday special and again, if you were on the fence, this better tip you over to the other side, because we know statistically, those that start their fitness journey before New Year's have an 80 plus percent chance of being successful long-term, versus those that wait till January 1st. We can get you ahead of the game. We can have you losing weight and still eating your favorite foods for them, holiday dinners, and we're gonna teach you those processes. Remember, education is a big piece of what we do.
Speaker 2:If you wanna learn how to be able to eat your grandma's pie, go to those business meetings, those holiday parties and still stay on target and reach your goals. You're definitely going to want to start something now, because if you don't start something now, you're going to be 10 pounds heavier by January 1st. You're going to be behind now, not ahead behind, and that will crush some motivation for sure. So keep a lookout for that. I'll be posting that on my social media platforms on Monday and again, if you guys need anything else, any sort of support, I can do. I'm here for you. Thank you guys for tuning in Love you guys. Have a good rest of the day, peace.